[Anton]

Dear Gardeners,

A beer depends on this. I opinioned to a fellow gardener that nettles grow on acid soil. She challenged this and bet me a beer. A found one reference on this site which said nettles like acid soil and they could be reduced by adding lime. I saw her this morning and she said she couldn't find her reference source but she thought nettles thrived on phosphate. She is apparently going to ask her "guru". So I'll turn to my "gurus", which is you lot. Let's hear your opinions about nettles liking acidic soils or not.

Anton

[gillie]

They are growing well enough on our land, which is certainly not acid!

As I understand it, nettles are colonisers of rich soils.  You sometimes find patches near derelict cottages in the middle of nowhere.  That is where a privy or midden used to be.

Cheers,

Gillie

[Rowan]

i too have read that nettles are indicative of acidic soil conditions, but i can't remember where!!!

[joyfull]

look at this
www.allotment-garden.org/fertilizer/garden-lime.php
Mines a pint of scrumpy if you win 

[Rowan]

look at this
www.allotment-garden.org/fertilizer/garden-lime.php
Mines a pint of scrumpy if you win 

Hate to be a pedant, but pH stands for "Potential (p) of Hydrogen (H)"

 

[joyfull]

You know what I never knew that!!! might explain why I failed my o level chemistry  - being an o level ages me  :blink:

Anyway the bit that leapt out at me was this:-


Sorrel, creeping buttercup, nettle, dock and mare’s tail are all signs your soil is becoming or is too acid. Reducing soil acidity will help deter some weeds – they are evolved for acid soils unlike our beloved crops.


Still wouldn't mind a scrumpy though even if it's just a half (get drunk on half which is why I'm usually t total  )

[elibump]

Quote from our beloved leader's book - GYOV - page 50

"Nettles seem to prefer an acid soil and liming to a pH above 5.5 or 6.0 seems really to slow them down."

(Hope its OK to quote like this , if not, very very sorry and won't do it again  )

Eli xx

[joyfull]

oh yes you will eli xx

[aelf]

I have a forest of nettles at the back of my plot which are now 6ft high. Trying to summon up the courage to tackle it. might throw a bit of lime at them first...

[SnooziSuzi]

OOOh  well I never!

the uncultivated bits of my lotty are covered in creeping buttercup and nettles;  looks like I'll be out with the lime if it's not raining tomorrow!

[andreadon]

surprising.
i knew they liked fertile soil - but they grow abundantlly in my alkaline soil - i'm glad it is alkaline if that's the case!!! I'd be inundated 

[savbo]

sometimes the way these things work is that a plant likes one thing (e.g. available nitrogen) and the amount that is available if affected by acidity/alkalinity...